Sat - Hearing: Landis I

JACOBS calls Floyd Landis.

q: background?
a: the story

[ I'm going to skip history; the summary below is pretty crappy. I suggest going up to the post about The Call above as well as glancing at this. ]

q: when riding for mercury, were you tested?
a: yes, but don't remember when.

[more]


q: no positives?
a: no.

q: ever use PEDs with mercury?
a: never have.

q: when/why to postal?
a: mercury folded.

q: who was leader?
a: lance.

q: your role?
a: supporting role for Lance.

q: learn a lot riding for postal?
a: first time I spent time in Europe, good training.

q: how did training change?
a: less winter work, more racing; about half the winter miles.

Q: ride in TDF every year with postal?
a: yes.

q: highlights?
a: second in dauphine behind Lance.

q: Describe first TDF in 2002?
a: couldn't understand how anyone could win it.

q: other highlights with postal?
a: 2003 mediocre with broken hip; 2004, was best year at postal, finished 4th in time trial and a mountain stages 21st overall, had lead in vuelta for a while.

q: when hip?
a: 2003 hard crash [known story]

q: lance won every year you were there.
a: yes. he won a lot of years.

q: were you tested there?
a: yes, but i don't remember dates.

q: ever use T with postal?
a: no?

q: any ped with postal?
a: no.

q: 2005 switched to Phonak?
a: yes.

q: why?
a: didn't know if lance was going to race, a little conflict with lance, wanted some chance for myself.

q: did you talk to other teams?
a: yes, quickstep, rabobank and france de jeune made an offer.

q: why phonak?
a: knew some people there. didn't have close friends on other times, but wanted some people I knew.

q: who?
a: knew Tyler hamiltion; other americans lived in Girona, was the only real connection?

q: when did you sign with Phonak?
a: summer 2004, right after the tour.

q: when did you start with phonak?
a: 2005.

q: between singning and joining, Tyler hamiltion had his positive.
a: yes.

q: you testified for him at a hearing?
a: yes.

q: substance of your testimony?
a: what it was like knowing him? I enjoyed him, but hadn't spent much time with him.

q: why did you testify?
a: because he'd helped me with my negotiation with the team.

q: you testified under oath?
a: yes.

q: tesll the truth?
a: 100%

q: phonak had other positive. see anything?
a: no.

q: use T?
a: no.

q: other PEDS?
a: no, but did have TUE for cortisone.

q: did phonak have internal controls when I got there?
a: yes, there were some, and became more strict over time.

q: what did they do?
a: they did blood tests...

q: did the team talk about doping and doping issues.
a: their policy was it was completely unnaceptable, and it was their wish no one would jeapodize...

q: their policy on a positive?
a: suspended immediately on a suspicion, firing on positive.

q: while there, were there suspensions on suspicioun?
a: one or two, don't remember names.

q: in 2005 how many times were you tested?
a: team or outside?

q: outside?
a: I should know, but maybe 6

q: all negative?
a: yes.

q: 2005 highlights?
a: TT ToG, 3rd overall; 9th at tour.

Q: change training?
a: didn't have surgery over the winter, could train all the time.

q: goals for 2006 season?
a: focus on tour, other races were placed within training schedule, but not at cost of tour.

q: were you drug tested at Toc, Paris-Nice, Tog, negative?
a: yes. I assume negative, you don't get results, but I assume I'd be told.

q: thyroid medication?

[ talks tour tactics ]

q: describe the S16 layout?
a: mountain stage with most vertical climb. Would normally be a good stage for me.

q: what happened?
a: didn't eat properly early in the race. If you don't early, you run out at the end.

q: how many miles in did you bonk?
a: late, but felt bad early.

q: when did you think you were in trouble?
a: last climb.

q: how long was last climb?
a: 8-10 miles?

q: how much time lost?
a: more than 8 minutes?

q: effect?
a: 1st to 11th.

q: how did you feel at the end?
a: first, get away from the cameras. needed to lie down and eat some food. felt better in an hour or two.

q: what did you do after, that evening?
a: are we going to do this again? came down, spoke to press, went with Lelange, mgmt, and Robbie Hunter and had a beer before people noticed. Before dinner. Then went back and had a talk with teammates and the infamous Jack Daniels, which helps tactical discussion.

[ usual story ]

q: use T on the night after S16?
a: no.

q: any other PED?
a: no.

[ more tour story ]

q: did you use T during the TDF?
A: no.

q: any others?
a: no.

q: before or after?
a: no.

q: when did you find out you'd tested positive?
a: jul 26? check the date?

q: how?
a: fax to team at hotel, got from team management. several hours of confusion with fax somewhere else.

a: if world finds out you have a positive drug test, it's a disaster.

q: when did you find out it wasn't cortisone?
a: a few hours later.

q: you found out on jul 26th. when was it first in media?
a: i think it was the 27th or 28th?

[ bunch of apologies for stupid statements ]

[ B test story, firing ]

q: reaction of cycling competitors?
a: supportive, but disconnected.

q: in august 2006 did you read comments by Greg Lemond?
a: what did you read?

q: specifics?
a: not exactly, but he'd concluded I was guilty and said I should confess.

q: what did you think?
a: didn't really know him, figured I call him.

q: when you called him did you know anything of his history of accusing others of taking susbtances?
a: knew he and Lance has a rough relationship, and knew they didn't like each other.

q: when.
a: called in early august, day or two after B.

q: what was said?
a: took a while for him to believe it was me, and that he should keep my number.

q: he said he knows Lance doped, knows I doped and should admit it.

[...]

q: did you read something else he said?

EX 118 for record.

[ posting ]

q: call from will geoghegan? when that call was placed, were you present?
a: in the room where we had dinner at a hotel.

q: did you know he was going to make this call?
a: no. we had to tell the story to the people around me because we expected him to tell it. i didn't want to do it.

q: did you hear the conversation?
a: no.

q: how long was it?
a: short.

q: when did you feel when you realized what had happened?
a: awful. I can't even put words to it.

q: did you think it was a threat?
a: no, he said he was writing a book about it.

q: how long was he your manager?
a: since august.

[ sigh, I lost it. Read the papers and watch the news. ]

RECONVENE MONDAY 8:00 am

Mr. Maieir Augustein; and Dr Amory; then Landis Cross